Most information security professionals have at least heard of the SSCP certification and with their skills and knowledge, can easily pass the SSCP exam. This is one certification that security professionals everywhere can agree is important to earn.
In order to become SSCP certified, you will need a combination of work experience, knowledge of systems and application security, and dedication to studying. However, if you put your mind to it, you can earn this useful certification in no time at all.
What Is SSCP Certification?
Essentially, the Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) is a certification for anyone wanting to prove their technical, practical, and hands-on IT skills. This certification is fantastic for advancing your career in information technology or information security.
While earning this certification is not required for most jobs, in order to earn a higher salary, administer IT infrastructures, and work in higher positions surrounding network security, you should definitely consider earning it.
What Are the Benefits of the Becoming SSCP Certified?
There are quite a few benefits of becoming SSCP certified, from your salary to your future career advancement.
- Higher Pay. The biggest benefit for most when considering earning an SSCP certification is the increase in pay. As is the case with many jobs, you will earn significantly more with a certification than you would without.
- Meets Department of Defense Requirements. The US Department of Defense requires you to earn an SSCP certification if you plan to work in information security. While you can get jobs in this field without being SSCP certified, any company with a strong code of ethics will be hesitant to hire you for those good positions without meeting the Department of Defense requirements.
- Keeps You Up-to-Date. There is quite a bit of studying that goes into earning an SSCP certification, which means you will certainly learn everything there is to know about the subject. This studying is one of the best ways to keep you totally up-to-date with all of the new advancements in the field.
- Future Advancements. As many security professionals know, the SSCP is the first of many useful certifications you can earn for advancement in the field. By becoming SSCP certified, you are paving the way for earning many other certifications in the future, such as the CISSP.
Earning Your SSCP Certification
Especially to those who are new in the field, it can be difficult to find out everything you need to know to earn your SSCP certification. There are many important factors to take into account, from best study practices to the time and cost of the exam.
To help, we have compiled all of the information you will need to prepare yourself for earning your SSCP certification. Throughout the remainder of this guide, you will find everything you need to help you along your certificate-earning journey.
How Long Does It Take to Get SSCP Certified?
Everyone spends a different amount of time preparing to take the SSCP certification exam. Some people study for a couple days and feel totally prepared, while others spend a few weeks to a few months before they are ready to take the exam.
For the actual exam, you will be given three hours total to complete the test. This, unfortunately, is a time limit set for everyone, so you cannot deviate from it. However, the three-hour limit is often more than enough time for security professionals to complete the exam. As long as you are prepared, you will be able to complete the exam on time.
How Much Does SSCP Certification Cost?
While the price of earning an SSCP certification may vary depending upon your study habits, the price of the exam itself remains the same for everyone. You will find yourself paying $250 to take the actual exam, but plan on spending a bit more on courses and practice exams leading up to the test date.
SSCP Certification Requirements
Prior to taking the SSCP certification exam, you will need to complete one year of cumulative security experience. Of course, you will also need a common body of knowledge related to technical skills and information security. These requirements can easily be met by working an entry-level job and studying hard prior to the exam.
What Is on the SSCP Certification Exam?
The SSCP certification exam consists of 125 questions. The questions cover seven different subjects: access controls, security operations and administration, risk identification/monitoring/analysis, incident response and recovery, cryptography/networks and communications security, and systems and applications security.
The test is scored on a scale of 0 to 1,000, and a passing score is considered to be 700 or above.
How to Prepare for and Earn Your SSCP Certificate: Step-by-Step
While taking a certification exam may be intimidating, there are 5 easy steps you can follow to make the process less intimidating. You don’t necessarily have to follow this step-by-step guide, but doing so can relieve a lot of stress.
- Gain Work Experience. The first step you will need to take when you begin preparing for the SSCP certification exam is to gain the required year of work experience. You can do this by working an entry-level job, or by applying for an internship.
- Use Online Study Guides. Since this is such an important and common exam for security professionals to take, there are plenty of online study guides available. We suggest taking advantage of these well before you have to take the exam, as it will ensure you are fully prepared.
- Enrol in Training Programs. As you get closer to the exam date, you will want to begin studying a bit harder. By enrolling in either in-person or online training programs, you can study under an instructor who is an expert in SSCP certifications.
- Take Practice Exams. The more prepared you are for the exam, the better. Taking practice exams online can really help in preparing you for not only the content, but also the feel of the SSCP certification exam.
- Sign Up for the Exam. Once you feel completely prepared and ready to ace the exam, you are ready to sign up. You can do this by visiting the SSCP certification exam website, paying the fee, and registering to take the exam.
The Best SSCP Training Programs
To better prepare for taking the SSCP certification exam, we highly recommend enrolling in a few training programs, online courses, and simply taking practice exams. We have compiled a list of a few of our favorite resources to help you in choosing which ones to enroll in.
Best SSCP Practice Exams
Taking practice exams is one of the most commonly used forms of studying. These are a couple of the best SSCP practice exams you can take.
Systems Security Certified Practitioner Practice Exam
- Provider: CertLibrary
- Length: Self-Paced
- Prerequisites: None
- Price: Free
CertLibrary offers an array of practice exams for various certifications. This particular exam is designed to specifically mimic the SSCP certification exam and provides users with over 1,000 questions that may be on the actual exam. You are able to choose from the multiple-choice answers, and when finished, can choose to show the correct answers for questions you answered incorrectly.
Systems Security Certified Practitioner Practice Exam
- Provider: ITExams
- Length: Self-Paced
- Prerequisites: None
- Price: Free
ITExams also offers a plethora of certification exams, specifically dedicated to IT-related certifications. This SSCP certification practice exam is formatted with over 1,000 multiple choice questions, to which you can view the correct answer. You will also be able to see a detailed explanation as to why the correct response is the best answer to the question.
Best SSCP Training Programs
Enrolling in a training program is a fantastic idea for anyone who is a bit unsure of studying by themselves. Training programs allow you to study under the instruction of an expert, which can help you to feel more confident about your knowledge.
Security Systems Certified Practitioner (SSCP) Training
- Provider: Learning Tree International- Herndon, VA or online
- Time: March 22, 2021 – March 26, 2021 (5 days)
- Prerequisites: None
- Price: $3,695
Learning Tree International offers a 5 day SSCP bootcamp at their in-person location in Herndon, Virginia, or in a live online format. This bootcamp is designed for systems analysts and engineers, security engineers, data analysts, and other, similar IT professionals. By the end of this bootcamp, you will be well-versed in all 7 concentrations of the SSCP certification exam.
(ISC) Official SSCP Certification Exam Courses
- Provider: Training Camp- Philadelphia, PA or online
- Time: February 22, 2021 – February 26, 2021 (5 days)
- Prerequisites: None
- Price: $3,995
Training Camp’s SSCP certification exam course is a five-day bootcamp aimed to help students pass the certification exam. Currently, this is the only official exam prep bootcamp for the SSCP certification exam, which allows Training Camp to offer students the option to take the exam directly through the website. If you enroll in this 5 day course, you are guaranteed by Training Camp to pass the certification exam.
Best SSCP Online Courses
Online courses are one of the best ways for many people to study, as they allow you to work at your own pace and on your own time. If you are someone who works best in the middle of the night, or at a slower pace than most classes offer, these online courses may be best for you.
SSCP Certification
- Provider: Udemy
- Time: Approximately 5.5 hours
- Prerequisites: None
- Price: Varies
Udemy is well-known for offering a plethora of technology-related courses, so it stands to reason there is a wonderful SSCP certification exam prep course available. This course is offered at $109.99 at the time this article was written, and it is sure to cover all of the most up-to-date information you may be tested over on the exam.
(ISC) Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)
- Provider: Coursera
- Time: Approximately 10 months
- Prerequisites: None
- Price: Free
For those who would like to spend more time studying, this Coursera course may be a good option. Though it is totally self-paced, it takes most students around 10 months to complete. As a totally free course, you will learn some priceless information pertaining to primarily those who have taken cybersecurity courses or are pursuing cybersecurity careers. If you are unsure about this provider, read our Coursera review.
Best Online SSCP Resources and Study Guides
There are a lot of online SSCP certification resources and study guides. Of course, you are welcome to browse through all of them, we have tried to save you some time by adding two of our favorites to this guide.
ExamTopics
ExamTopics offers another practice exam that is meant to be used as a study guide for the SSCP certification exam. This exam is supposed to be realistic enough to pass as the actual exam, meaning you will get the very best study material. ExamTopics also offers a plethora of other similar certification practice exams, making more than a one-time use resource.
Pluralsight
Pluralsight is a great website for learning a wide variety of subjects, and luckily for you, SSCP is one of them. Offering one path which is a series of 13 courses, or all of the courses individually, Pluralsight offers plenty of study materials to properly prepare you for the SSCP certification exam.
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Why Should I Get SSCP Certified?
If you have made it this far and still aren’t sure about taking the SSCP certification exam, the next part is for you. There are many benefits to earning this certification, but the two biggest ones are the job possibilities not available without the certification, and the impressive salary.
SSCP Job Possibilities
The Department of Defense requires all information security employees to have earned SSCP certification. So, while you can get entry-level jobs associated with information security, your career will not go far without this certification.
If you are wanting to show off your impressive IT skills through a job as an information security analyst, cyber security officer, or any similar jobs, you will need to have earned the SSCP certification.
SSCP Certification Salary
Wondering if you should pursue that information security degree? Assuming you want a decent salary, we say yes. With the combination of an SSCP certification and a master’s degree in information security, you will be bringing in the big bucks.
On average, those with SSCP certification salary earn $82,000 to $90,000 per year, as opposed to those earning as much as $40,000 less without the certification. And, for the ambitious, earning SSCP certification paves the way for earning a CISSP certification, which can push your annual salary over $120,000. Overall, we believe earning an SSCP certification is one of the smartest career moves you can make.
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